Fury says Joshua must agree to his contract demands or NO fight

Andy Brooks

11 months ago

Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury says he’s leaving it up to Anthony Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn to agree to his contract demands for a fight in 2018 otherwise there won’t be a fight. Fury (25-0, 18 KOs) says Joshua and Hearn have been trying to dictate terms for the fight with him, and he’s not going to allow them to do that.

Fury, 29, reportedly wants a 60-40 split of the revenue for a fight with Joshua as well as he champion’s perks. Hearn isn’t agreeable to letting Fury take 60 percent of the cut. Hearn isn’t saying what he feels Fury is worth, but he does say he’s off by 20 percent in what he’s asking for. That means Fury would be getting 40 percent and Joshua 60 percent.

“The question is will that fight happen or not,” said Fury to Fighthub in talking about the Joshua fight. “If we can’t come to an agreement, then there’s not going to be a fight happening. We did see that before with Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe. Let’s hope it doesn’t go down that road, and let’s hope they sign the contact and get the fight on,” said Fury.

Fury seems to be dead serious in what he says about there not being a fight with Joshua if he doesn’t agree to his terms.

Fury and Joshua can revisit the negotiations later if they’re unable to come to an agreement right now. This is not the best time for Fury to be trying to negotiate the fight with Joshua. Hearn has Fury at a weak point in his career with him coming off of a 2 year layoff, and still not having been cleared by the British Boxing Board of Control to resume his career.

When Fury last fought in 2015, he was the biggest heavyweight star in British boxing. But with Fury out of action, Joshua has filled in and become the gap and become the new heavyweight star in the UK. Fury won’t be able to talk his way into getting a bigger split of the revenue for a fight with Joshua. He’ll need to get back in action by fighting and beating the top heavyweights, and proving he can bring in huge audiences the way Joshua has been doing. If Fury can bring in better numbers than Joshua, then he can dictate terms.

“I just see them trying to dictate everything, and I will NOT be dictated by nobody,” said Fury about Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn in talking about the negotiations. “They have to meet my demands or nothing. It’s as simple as that,” said Fury.